Sightseeing

I got up at 5:30 am and collected my hot water myself for my coffee.
I had booked the early access tour for Cristos Redentor and had to be at the meeting point at 7 am and it is a few meters to walk.
I left the Hotel at 6:45 am - with my other lenses in the bag.

For Rio I bought a 40mm pancake lens in order to minimise my camera a bit. 
It is not recommended to show off huge cameras with big lenses and the pancake lens makes the camera less bulky and less heavy too. 
I can also easily drop it in my handbag, when I want to hide it.
The 40 mm is a great lens and a good allrounder when only out with one prime lens. I much prefer it to the 50mm.

We were 9 people on the tour and I was the only English speaker. All others were from Chile and Argentina, speaking Spanish.
The guide Patricia translated everything for me which was nice.

We were up at the Monument at 8 am before everyone else. There are some stunning views and the weather was perfect, but hot!
We are looking at 32-36 degrees every day!

After the Christ I had also booked the add-on of Sugar loaf mountain. I had been there before, but I thought it does not hurt to do it again with camera.
It was a nice trip and great to have both views within a short time.

The trip ended at 12 pm and I was dropped at the meeting point from where I walked to the Sofa Café for breakfast.
I truly intended to have a healthy choice but instead I had one of their amazing looking cakes.
Two coffees and a cake later I walked to the Hotel. Feeling quite knackered.

Phoned Christina, who is doing ok-ish and then also phone Jack, who sent me a message that he was missing me ;). 

I finally made it to the beach at 3 pm and got my chair and umbrella from the usual guys - no 103!
There is a big competition at the beach. Every 20 m is another stall set up. I like the 103 boys. They look after me!

I thought Neil was maybe joining me, but he never appeared. Since I do not take valuables to the beach I also had no clue what time it was.
I left the beach when the sun was disappearing and was back in the Hotel at 6 pm finding Neil at the desk working.

We decided to try a restaurant recommendation from Patricia and walked in the other direction. It was a local seafood restaurant and we did struggle with the Portuguese menu!
Luckily the man from the next table spoke English and offered some help.
He was Brazilian but lives in Switzerland, the French part.

In the end we had a nice meal, but I do not think I made the right choices as it was not WOW.
I also finally leant that Brazilians cannot make salads!
I tried it twice and it was not worth it.
Exception was the Arab place, where the salads were otherworldly!

The night was very hot and close and we did suffer a bit walking home. It was still above 30 degrees and felt temperature was 38 degrees.
We had a cold shower when arriving in the Hotel before bed!

Today I am blipping the Standard Rio shots :)
Main: Pão de Açúcar from Cristo
Extras: 
Ipanema and Rocinha, Rios largest Favela from just below Cristo 
Urca and Copacabana from the Sugarloaf
SugarLoaf, Copacabana, Urca from Cristo